Markus Mailopu

Markus Mailopu

Markus Mailopu's diary (brown cover)
Markus Mailopu's diary (black cover)
Paulohi manuscripts

Wikidata: Q124343724

Image in: Nowak, Eugeniusz. 2003. Professor Erwin Stresemann (1889 - 1972) - ein Sachse, der die Vokelkunde in den Rang einer biologischen Wissenschaft erhoben hat. Hohenstein. Ernstthal: Verein Sächsischer Ornithologen e.V., p. 26. Source of image: Amelie Koheler & Vesta Stresemann, Freiburg.

Unknown

Seram

1917 (?)

Unknown

According to his own writing, Markus Mailopu grew up on the island Seram, in the village of Ahesuru (Makariki) where his mother came from. After the great earthquake in September 1899, he moved to Samasuru/Paulohi. In 1911, he joined the "II. Freiburg Moluccan Expedition" and participated in excursions on Seram and the neighboring island Buru, as well as the return journey to Germany. During his stay in Europe (mainly Germany), he worked with Erwin Stresemann on linguistic studies and with Karl Deninger on the preparation of bird specimens. In 1913, he was hired by geographer Johannes Elbert to take part in an expedition to the German colony of Kamerun on behalf of the German Imperial Colonial Office. The expedition had to change routes due to military conflicts in the region after which Mailopu's traces are lost. According to several accounts, Mailopu joined the German Schutztruppe (protection force) in 1917.

Sources:

• Mailopu's diaries
• Mailopu's "Paulohi Manuscripts"
• Nowak, Eugeniusz. 2003. Professor Erwin Stresemann (1889–1972) – ein Sachse, der die Vogelkunde in den Rang einer biologischen Wissenschaft erhoben hat. Mitteilungen des Vereins Sächsischer Ornithologen: Hohenstein-Ernstthal
• Stresemann, Erwin. 1918. Die Paulohisprache. Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Amboinischen Sprachengruppe. ‘s-Gravenhage: Nijhoff

Traces of Mailopu’s life are scattered across the archival records that have been recollected in this digital archive and beyond. Please refer to the digital exhibition Markus Mailopu: Reconstructing a biography to learn more.